Close Encounters of the Furred Kind

June 15, 2016

American readers might not be familiar with British author and avid cat lover Cox. This follow-up to The Good, the Bad, and the Furry continues the author's charming reflections of daily life with his charismatic cats: brothers Ralph and Shipley, the now elderly Zenlike the Bear, and female Roscoe. Cox and Gemma, his significant other, move from their home in east England into an old cottage in the countryside surrounded by brilliant flowers and hedgerows. His delightful descriptions of outside walks with a cat or two, or those of the cats lolling in the sunshine among the bees, present one point of view of the often emotional debate of inside/outside catkeeping. George, a stray, enters this peaceful kingdom with his own personality and problems. Throughout are passages that contemplate the important relationship Cox has with his parents as he recounts comical and lively conversations. VERDICT Highly recommended for cat people who no doubt will become fans of Cox, sparking interest in his other feline friends from previous books.--Eva Lautemann, formerly with Georgia Perimeter Coll. Lib., Clarkston

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2016
The world's most melancholy cat, The Bear, is back! Along with buddies Roscoe, Ralph, and Shipley. English best-seller Cox (The Good, the Bad, and the Furry, 2015) has done it again, creating a laugh-out-loud memoir of living with feline roommates. The big excitement in this go-round is the removal of the entire household from Norfolk to girlfriend Gemma's home, in Devon. As the cats settle in, the humans discover the local pub and its discussions of horses, cows, and comic books as well as the local cats, Snacks the pub cat and a lightning-fast gray cat that sneaks through other people's cat flaps. And then feral George arrives, the world's greatest horizontal meditative cat. The author's volatile father (whose dialogue is always presented in ALL CAPS) describes George as stoned off his face, a cat plagued with only one problem, his persistent urge to make love to an extremely reluctant Roscoe, the family's only female cat. Cox is endlessly funny, speaking for his cats and poking good-natured fun at every human he encounters, including himself.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)